Sod producers conventionally harvest sod by cutting narrow strips of sod from the field and then either rolling the strips into rolls for stacking or a pallet or platform or by stacking the strips on top of each other on a platform. Apparatus conventionally used to harvest sod employs an undercutting knife to cut the sod into strips and a conveyor to transport the sod upwardly to a position where it can be grasped by a worker riding on the apparatus and then stacked manually on a pallet or other platform.
Such apparatus requires a minimum of two workers, one to operate the apparatus and one to stack the sod rolls. Because the stacking procedure is strenuous and also monotonous, the person stacking the sod must be given periodic rest periods. Sometimes two workers are used for stacking the sod in order to reduce the amount of work otherwise required by a single worker.
Although there has been proposed an automatic sod harvester which is operable by one person for cutting and stacking sod, such apparatus was extremely expensive and apparently did not achieve commercial success. It is not being marketed at this time.
There has not heretofore been provided an economical sod harvesting apparatus capable of being operated by one person for cutting sod into strips and stacking the sod onto pallets.